French and Indian War 6-pounder cannonball, recovered from sunken ship, Lake George

This is another nice early piece coming out of a 60-year collection of French & Indian War/Revolutionary War artillery. Being offered is a French & Indian War 6-pounder Solid Shot cannonball. The ball has a diameter of 3.7 inches and weighs 3 pound, 12 ounces. During the French & Indian War both sides made extensive use of artillery and using many 6-pounder cannons (see pictures). It was recovered many years ago from a sunken ship in Lake George, NY.

The Battle of Lake George was fought on September 8, 1755. British forces of 1,500 soldiers and 200 Mohawk Indians under the command of William Johnson defeated a much larger allied French and Indian force of 3,500 under German General Baron Dieskau.

In June 1759, British General Jeffrey Amherst arrived in Lake George and soon proceeded to build a new fort at the lake. The site was the high ground east of the ruins of Fort William Henry, which had been destroyed by the French in 1757. A provincial officer described the fort as "the walls [are] about 14 feet thick built of stone and lime."

What is unique about this ball is that a good portion of the ball has what appears to be concretion on it – probably sand and minerals from sitting in the lakebed. I believe it could come off if desired, but I myself would leave it just as it is.

This collection began in the late 1950s and was created by private acquisitions, closed museums, and from lake divers. The collector meticulously displayed and cataloged every piece along with its provenance. His markings were crude at the time, but now they have proved to be very important. Many of the pieces went through electrolysis to remove crusted rust.

This is the first time this cannonball has been on the open market, and it is truly a great piece of early American History. It definitely merits a place in an advanced collection or museum. As with all the pieces in this esteemed collection, a Certificate of Authenticity will be included.